The legislation, which also presents conscience concerns and rationing problems for the multitude of pro-life groups that opposed it, got the thumbs up from CHA that ultimately gave political cover to former Rep. Bart Stupak and a handful of “pro-life Democrats” who voted for final version of the abortion-funding legislation in the House.

In what one pro-life advocate says is a kickback for CHA, President Barack Obama appointed one of its legal leaders to a spot as a member of the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

The White House, in an email LifeNews.com received, announced new members to the council and Sister Marlene Weisenbeck is among the new appointees. She is a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration of La Crosse, Wisconsin. But she is also the chair of the Catholic Health Association’s Sponsorship/Canon Law Committee and is a consultant in religious law.

Matt K of the Badger Catholic blog responded to the Obama appointment of Weisenbeck.

“Frantic for power and prestige, these sisters lead by Weisenbeck publicly opposed the Catholic Church’s long held teaching that every life is sacred,” he said. “I was told that Weisenbeck was called to Rome after that debacle which it seems has not affected her interest in pursuing her political career. Obviously this appointment tells the real story behind her opposition of pro-life efforts and the USCCB. She scratches Obama’s back and he scratches hers.”

In addition to her role with the pro-Obamacare CHA, Weisenbeck was one of the three dozen Christian “leaders” who signed on to a statement in December 2009 supporting a fake abortion funding compromise Sen. Bob Casey introduced that pro-life groups strenuously opposed during the debate leading up to the health care reform bill votes.

The National Right to Life Committee said the proposal “completely fails to correct any of the major pro-abortion provisions in the underlying Reid bill.”

“We believe that your proposed language in no way improves the highly objectionable provisions of the Reid bill that authorize subsidies for health plans that cover elective abortion, and that authorize federal mandates for private health plans to cover elective abortion,” the group told Casey at the time. “Under your language, federal funds would be used to pay the premiums of private health plans that pay for elective abortion on demand, for tens of millions of Americans. This is completely unacceptable.”

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo said in a statement LifeNews.com obtained that the legislation will be morally unacceptable “unless and until” it complies with longstanding current laws on abortion funding such as the Hyde amendment.

“Senator Casey’s good-faith effort to allow individuals to ‘opt out’ of abortion coverage actually underscores how radically the underlying Senate bill would change abortion policy,” Cardinal DiNardo said. “Excluding elective abortions from overall health plans is not a privilege that individuals should have to seek as the exception to the norm. In all other federal health programs, excluding abortion coverage is the norm. And numerous opinion polls show that the great majority of Americans do not want abortion coverage.”